Sunday (Nisan 10): The Beginning of the End

Bible Text: Luke 19:10 and Matthew 21:1-11

Luke 19:10, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Matthew 21:9, “And the crowds that went before Him and that followed Him were shouting, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

Devotional:It’s the beginning of the end! Jesus’ last week on earth. The gospels give us a solid account of Jesus’ life and ministry. He preached to the masses and taught His disciples. He healed the sick and raised the dead. He calmed the storm and He prayed to the Father. But Jesus’ time on earth is coming to a close, so let’s take a look at His last week on earth.

Jesus is making His way to the city of Jerusalem, and on the way, He has an interaction with a man named Zacchaeus. You know Zacchaeus, “the wee little man who climbed into a sycamore tree to see Jesus.” More than being a children’s song we sing, this story reveals to us an important aspect of Jesus’ mission on this earth. Luke 19:10 tells us that “the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Jesus, the Son of Man, did not come to earth to be a political figure, a popular prophet, or even a great preacher; He came to earth to find and save sinners!

So keep that truth in mind as we fast forward to Sunday, the 10th of Nisan. In the Old Testament, today was the day when Jewish families selected a lamb to be sacrificed for the Passover. Once these lambs were selected they were led into the city to be inspected. Little did the people in Jerusalem know that the man humbly entering the city on a donkey would be the true and final sacrificial lamb! As He is riding on a donkey, entering the city, the crowds of people exclaim, “Hosanna to the Son of David…. Hosanna in the Highest!” The word Hosanna means, “save us please.” The people thought Jesus was an earthly king entering the city to deliver the nation of Israel from the Romans. But as we know from the story of Zacchaeus, Jesus came to deliver people from the curse of sin!

The crowds of people in the city were correct in saying that Jesus would save them, but their hearts were far from the truth of His deliverance. This week, let us remember that Jesus is the true sacrificial lamb who saves, not a nation from bondage, but His people from the curse of sin!

Questions:Why did Christ come to earth?{To seek and to save the lost.}

What does “Hosanna” mean and why is that important for us?{Hosanna means “Save us please” and Jesus is the one who saves us from the curse of sin.}

Pray Together:Heavenly Father, we come before you with thankful hearts! Thankful that you sent Jesus to earth to seek and to save sinners. We are thankful that You sent Jesus to earth to be the true and final sacrificial Lamb. Above all, we are thankful for Jesus, the only One who can truly bring people to God. We celebrate His humility in entering the city on a donkey and we long for the day He returns in triumph and power!